Hearing Technology

The Hearing Technology Lab: The lab of Prof. Verhulst adopts an interdisciplinary approach to study how sound and speech are encoded along the auditory pathway. By combining computational modeling with multi-channel EEG, otoacoustic emissions and psychoacoustics, we offer a comprehensive view on how hearing works, and how it is degraded after hearing loss. We develop EEG technology that can be integrated with wearables, and that offers sensitive clinical diagnostic methods that isolates the "hidden hearing loss" (synaptopathy) aspect of hearing problems. We offer model-based individual treatment strategies for the ever-growing noise-exposed and ageing population, and use our knowledge to develop effective prevention methods and an overall understanding of how people operate in an auditory context. 

Who we are:

We bring together expertise from various fields to work on hearing science: Physics, Engineering, Psychology, Audiology and Machine Learning

We are hiring (April-May 2023):

Postdoctoral researcher in auditory modeling and machine hearing: https://jobs.ugent.be/job-invite/25830/

Engineer in real-time signal processing for auditory neural networks: https://jobs.ugent.be/job-invite/25839/

Postdoctoral engineer in real-time signal processing for auditory neural networks: https://jobs.ugent.be/job-invite/25837/

PhD in auditory modeling: https://www.ugent.be/en/work/scientific/doctoral-fellow-5

In case you are interested in these topics outside of the application dates, get in touch with Prof. Verhulst about future openings

Our Research Methods:

 

Running Projects:

  • EIC Transition Grant EarDiTech: Precision Hearing Diagnostics and Augmented-hearing Technologies
  • FWO: Machine-hearing 2.0: Biophysically-inspired auditory signal processing for machine-hearing applications
  • FWO: Modeling how sensorineural hearing loss affects auditory processing and physiological markers of hearing (AudiMod) 
  • ERA-NET CoSySpeech: The functional role of cochlear synaptopathy for speech coding in the brain
  • BOF interdisciplinary project EarDiMon: Portable Hearing Diagnostics: Monitoring of Auditory-nerve Integrity after Noise Exposure (with co-PI Prof. Dhooge and collaborator Prof. Keppler)

Finalised Projects:

  • DFG SPP 1608: The Impact of Hearing Impairment on the Source Generators of Auditory Evoked Potentials
  • Agir Pour l'Audition: Unravelling the causes of individual speech-in-noise deficits: disentangling outer hair-cell and inner hair-cell / auditory nerve sources (Dr Ponsot)
  • ERC Proof-of-Concept CochSyn: A diagnostic test for cochlear synaptopathy screening in humans
  • ERC Starting Grant RobSpear: Robust Speech Encoding in Impaired Hearing

Model Code and Software:

Find the most recent and supported model code on our GitHub page.

GitHub/hearing-technology

Our 2018 model is also incorporated into the Auditory Model Toolbox (thanks to Alejandro Osses!)

Older repositories can be downloaded here:

Publications:

Google Scholar Page

News:

Latest news updates now on Twitter (@HearingTechLab)! 

  • January 2023: SPIN 2023

  • December 2022:

  • Prof. Verhulst receives an award from the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts

  • November 2022: B-Audio Congress

  • Fotios' PhD Defense

  • September 2022: We kicked off the EarDiTech Project and welcomed new members to the team.

  • August 2022: IHCON 2022

  • June 2022: International Symposium of Hearing in Lyon

  • The lab and team members enjoyed a sunny day together.

  • February 2019: International Project meeting at 7AM
  • February 2019: We presented two RobSpear posters at ARO  
  • January 2019: Analog auditory model by Zwicker!     
  • January 2019: We are hiring a PhD student for the EarDiMon project!
  • We hosted the 2019 Speech-in-Noise workshop! 
  • January 2019: SPIN organisation                           
  • December 2018:  The Hearing Seminar                                  
  • November 2018: Prof. Verhulst received the "Young Investigator Spotlight" award from the Advances and Perspectives in Auditory Neuroscience (APAN) meeting
  • Fall 2018:                                                                               
  • Fall 2018: science!                       
  • October 2018: Fotios and Alejandro are joining the lab to work on the RobSpear Project
  • October 2018:                                        
  • Fall 2018:                                                              
  • Sept 2018: DEGA symposium 
  • Summer 2018:                                     
  • June 2018:                                                    
  • June 2018: International Symposium on Hearing   
  • June 2018:                                     
  • May 2018:                                               
  • May 2018:                                  
  • May 2018:           
  • May 2018:                         
  • May 2018:                                                                        
  • Spring 2018:                                   
  • Februari 2018:
  • Oktober 2017: A short video about my research as part of the Steaaam It! campaign can be seen here. 
  • June 2017: Acoustical Society of America              
  • June 2017: Mechanics of Hearing
  • June 2017: Fields Institute of Mathematics Invited Lecture (available online)  
  • May 2017: Lab visit of Prof. Laurel Carney  
  • April 2017: "Noise seriously harms human health": Noise in Europe Conference                
  • March 2017: Tijmen and Sarineh are joining the lab to work on the ERC RobSpear Project!
  • 21 March: 10 yrs ERC in Brussels with ERC president Prof. Bourguignon and Belgian ERC grantees
  • Fall 2016:                                                                       
  • November 2016: Sarah receives the Niedersachsen Wissenshaftspreis (Kat.II Nachwuchswissenschaftler/in)
  • Summer 2015: The Auditory Model Workshop